In the Squidoo Christmas Cash Blueprint it mentions that you should use a “visual call to action”. This is an image you create with the picture of the product, the money they can save, and a mention of Amazon. The whole thing is clickable and gives people a great visual image to click on and get to Amazon via your affiliate link.
People have been asking exactly how I make these visual call to actions. So I’m gonna show you. Now before I get started I have a couple confessions I have to make.
1. I am graphically challenged. I have spent over a year trying to puzzle together how to make these things in a simpler more direct fashion but haven’t figured it out yet so this is still what I do.
2. I KNOW this is not the easiest, fastest, or BEST way to do this ~ I just haven’t figured out anything better as of yet. (When/If I do I’ll let you know)
With that said ~ let’s get started.
What you will need:
You are going to need 3 programs to make this work (I told you it wsan’t the easiest thing lol). All the programs are free, so grab them, since they’re great to have for lots of other things as well.
1. Jing (captures things on your screen)
2. Irfanview (resizing and playing with images)
3. Paint or something similar (should come with your PC under Start-> all programs -> accessories) (at least that’s how it is on my windows )
Go ahead and download and install the first two things if you don’t have them already.
Step 1. Grab an image of your product.
You can get it from Amazon, just right click on the image and then click “save as”. (I have a specific folder for all my marketing images so I can always find them easily and they don’t get mixed in with the millions of pictures of Hanna)
Step 2: Get your amazon icon image.
You will only have to do this once, because once you have it you can use it over and over again. You will be using Jing for this, and I can’t show you because I can’t use jing to show you how to use jing. It’s very simple though. You can get a quick run through of how to use jing on their website ~ a nice video. What I can show you is what you need to grab with Jing.
That’s all you want is just the amazon logo ~ it’s on the top left hand corner of every page.
3. Start putting it together.
For this step we’re going to use irfanview. You also need to note how much of a savings there is for the product you’ve chosen. You will find that on the Amazon page as well.
Go ahead and open Irfanview. You will want to open a file once you get it open. Choose the image you took of your item from Amazon. Here’s a video showing you how to add space to your image and add the text about saving money.
After you’ve finished creating your image you want to click “save as” in irfanview and name your file (using your product keyword) and save it where you want it on your computer.
4. Add the Amazon icon.
Once you have your new image saved you are going to go to Paint, and we’ll add the amazon icon there.
5. Add visual Call to Action Image to your lens.
You will notice I used code from photobucket in the video ~ I just go to photobucket and grab the “html” code option under the “share this” area. I paste that into my module, and then fill in my information instead of the photobucket information. This helps me make sure I get the code right and I know it will work.
That’s all there is to it. You can also use these images on your blog posts and anywhere else you need a visual call to action for your product.
UPDATE: A lot of people seem to be having trouble with this step so I’ve created another video walking through the exact steps you need to take. I uploaded my call to action image to photobucket and have done all the steps you will need to do to make this work. I hope it helps.
I hope this has been easy enough to understand even though there are a few steps and a few different pieces of software to use. If you have questions specific to the process go ahead and ask them in the comments section.
If you need some one on one help I’m here for you.
If you found this post helpful I’d really appreciate it if you would click the tweet this button and retweet it on twitter. 
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Hi, Jackie! I just want to say that this post is really informative. I am a great fan of demonstrations. I use the black box module to encase my visual call into action though. Thanks. Stay helpful!
-Roth
You have to host it somewhere. Either on your server or somewhere like photobucket.
Once you have it hosted somewhere you need to use the above html code to insert it into the most important thing module (the orange box)
Jackie,
I’m stuck with the last step. I saved the image and text “Save today….” created in Irfranview on my desktop. Now, how do I insert this into the orange box in the module ? ?
Flummoxed.
It’s not that you have to have a blogger account, but you do need a website. A squidoo lens will not be enough to qualify. A blogger blog is a quick way to get a website. All of your other questions have been discussed in depth in other posts. Use the search box or the articles page to find the relevant posts.
so I would need a blogger account to be accepted by amazon? I thought that a http://www.squidoo.com/whatever here submitted to amazon would work. What is the maximum commission I can receive from amazon anyway? Is it best to be an associate/affiliate to get the 8%. Just with squidoo is only 4% correct?
Also, I just started my lens today. I am having a problem with content. Like knowing what to say in the intro and the text areas. I already understand the technical part like adding links, pictures etc.. It’s just content and knowing what to say. Also, should I add other peoples squidoo links that are related to my topic?
Check your keywords and make sure you don’t have any punctuation in the keyword ~ no apostrophe, comma, colon, semi colon etc. Just letters and numbers just like it said.
Hi Jackie, Thanks for the info you’ve been putting out. It’s very gracious of you to do that. However, i’ve been struggling with this squidoo thing..specifically with inserting my product URL when trying to build the lens.
When i input my product keyword i get this msg – “Zowee! URLs can only consist of letters, numbers, underscores, and dashes. Nothing fancy now, okay?
It’s kinda frustrating!!
Thanks
Hi Jenny,
I just looked through some of mine and they all ended up being 480 X 280. I’ve never had a problem with that size.
Hi Jackie,
I am so grateful to you for providing this excellent tutorial.
I’ve completed several lenses so far without any problems. However, tonight when I’ve been uploading my CTA images to my lenses, they are breaking the orange frame on “The Most Important Thing” module. I have tried changing my image size and adjusting where I place the text table but I’m hitting a brick wall. Do you have any suggestions regarding the optimal image size and what I might try?
Thanks so much.
Jenny
nope, it treats code like code in the comments. If people look at my Comment from October 15 there is a link in that comment and the html code is written out in that link so they can see it.
Thanks for trying to help.
Jackie
Okay, for whatever reason, it did not allow that code to appear in the comment, but I tried.
Jackie, if that code is still there, perhaps it will allow you to make it visible.
– Jeffery
With so many questions about the PhotoBucket html, here’s the code they can use to copy/paste. Just be sure to replace everything that’s all capital letters.
– Jeffery
the orange box is actually the most important thing module.
That’s what it does is put an orange box around whatever you put in it.
It is in the module list ~ look under T for THE most important thing. yeah, not the easiest way to categorize it, but that’s where it’s at.
Jackie,
Thanks for sharing so much.
I have a probably stupid question: where do you get the orange box around your call to action?
Is The Most Important Thing actually in the module list at Squidoo?
Nette
Hi again Jackie,
It is o.k. You can just ignore my last message. I finally got my image to click directly to the Amazon site for my product. The problem was with the HTML code for the product link. I clicked on that little picture I told you about which takes me right to the product site and I used that address instead and it worked!
Now I can get some shut eye!
Thanks,
Sandra
Guys ~ try to make sure you read the comments ok? I just answered this about 2 comments up.
Hi Sandra.
You have to go to your image page on photobucket. Then choose the html option under “share this image” http://screencast.com/t/4TBaKFT8JG1
Then you have to take out the part of the code that points back to photobucket and instead insert your affiliate link that points back to your product on amazon.
Here’s what your code will look like ~ just replace the part that says “youraffiliatelinkhere” with your actual affiliate link. You won’t have to change the “yourimageurl” part because it will already have that part in it.
Hope that helps ~
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I have been trying to add my ‘visual call to action image’ to my squidoo lens but it has been a very painful process. I had saved my image to my computer but through trial and error realized that I couldn’t use that address. So what I did was I uploaded or saved my product picture to photobucket. I believe I used the direct link code from photobucket for my picture and when I put the code into my squidoo lens, my picture is finally coming up except that it is not going directly to the amazon page when I click on it, but instead is going to some blank page with a very tiny picture of my product in the left upper hand corner.
Could you tell me which code I should use from photobucket so that if someone clicked the image it would go right to the Amazon page and not the page that I described above. It just seems like the more I try to fix it the worse it gets.
Please help.
Thanks.
If you want to link it to a product YES.
Okay – I think I may have just had a “lightbulb” moment….am I actually going to be uploading my call to action image to photobucket to have it reside there then?
Then, I go into photobucket and get the code for my particular image? Do I understand?
If your picture is on your computer then just click the browse button under the add image area. You can not add a link to those images. If you want your image to link to somewhere you have to use html. Which means your image has to be hosted somewhere (so you have a url for the image). You can host it at photobucket or on your own server.
The ONLY reason I go to photobucket is simply to get the code to use. I then fill in the code with my own links. Here is the code http://screencast.com/t/UX4cL7Kk73Q you will need to use to create an image that links to an affiliate page. Simply fill in the right details where they are called for.
Image with a link code is tricky and if you don’t do it right you get a blue underline under your image ~ which is why I go to photobucket to get the right code that won’t show up the blue underline.
You will need the url of your image ~ and your affiliate url for this to be able to create an image with a link to it.
Last week I emailed you the exact code you needed to put in your most important thing module to make it work ~ did you add it and see how I did it?
If you are just pulling an image off your computer for a text module you don’t have to worry about linking ~ just use the browse thing to upload it right from your computer.
I’m confused about why we are going to photobucket to get the code unless our picture resides there. Right now, the image I made for the call to action resides on my computer. Why am I going after the code on photobucket if the picture resides on my computer. I also don’t know where to go get this code you are talking about on photobucket. This part is the only big issue I am still having after all of your help last week. I gave up on my first lens even putting this call to action module in, but I want to figure this part out because it is making me crazy!! I hope my question makes sense. Let me know if I can clarify my question or problem. Jane
I don’t know ~ are you trying to put that image in your lens? If so then yes, If not then it doesn’t matter which image you take the code off of, it’s just a way to get the right code. Maybe I just need to write the code in the post ~ I thought this was easy but it seems confusing for people.
Jackie,
Do I open the image I made earlier in this step in Photobucket to get the url or??
I go to any image at photobucket and grab the “html” code under share. Then I replace their code with my own. (it’s just an easy way to make sure the code is right)
Can you explain to me (again) where you get the photobucket link that you grabbed?
I have not seen mention of the logo issue ~ and everything I’ve shown does not ask you to change the url they provide ~ all the tracking and everything is still within the link. I am not changing anything in the url. You can’t use amazon or one of the other sites in your URL at all.
Yeah I’m sure that’s possible and one of the easier ways I’ve mentioned I’m sure were available however, I have YET to be able to figure out how to add the text to an image in paint.
To grab a pick of your product, just go to the amazon link titled “link to this page”.
A drop new box will give you several options, where you can pick the “image only”
Right click on the image, “save as” and save to your computer naming it your product name.
Then go to paint, load pic, add your wording, save.
Then using photobucket like you said, you can make it a clickable link.
This would help those who cannot download Jing, or irfanview
Hi Jackie,
By copying and pasting the amazon logo, you are using a copyrighted logo without permission. I believe amazon TOS states that we are allowed to use the links provided without changing them.
I would be afraid of being cancelled by amazon.
Using a red, lower case, ariel bold font will give a similiar effect without infringing on copyrights.
In order to get the Amazon logo, you can just go to Google images and type in “amazon” (without quotes) it will bring up a number of pictures. Click on the one you want and then click on the picture on the top of the page and it will load the picture in its own page. You can then right click and “save image as” and save to your computer.
Ok ~ this is the one I was thinking of, but it does video not just a screenshot. Go ahead and try the one above ~ but if you need something to take screenshot video try this: Screenr
@carolyn
I looked around and this was NOT the one I was thinking of, but you might take a look at this page and see if this will work for you. When I find the one I’m thinking of I’ll come back and post it.
easy screen capture
@Kim
You can use the no iframe thing at squidutils. Here’s what I see as the drawbacks. You are going to get a regular Amazon ad looking image. It will have the price on it, instead of talking about the savings, and the size may make it look a little strange in the most important thing module.
I think it will come off as “sales message” instead of “great bargain” but I don’t know ~ go ahead and try it, see how your conversion rate goes ~ you can always change it later.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I am planning to use the tools at http://www.squidutils.com because you can create the Amazon no frame links automatically by entering the Amazon product number and your Associate number. This would eliminate the need to do the above steps that you mentioned, wouldn’t it?
Unless there is something that I am missing, it seems to be much easier to use the Squidutils tools to create the links, because the product shows up and the text/pricing is at the bottom – what do you think?
Thanks!
Kim
When I down loaded Jinga and did the install it said it was not supported on my computer. Windows ME, is there any way around this so I may still do the call to action section? Thank you for your reply and thank you so much for all the help you have given me and everyone else. People like you make this world a better place!
If you aren’t an affiliate for Amazon you have to use the amazon modules provided by squidoo and you will get paid for any products purchased via your link in your squidoo dashboard. You will only get paid about 4% commission because you will be splitting your commission with Squidoo. You also can not put text links in your modules, or link to the review pages or other cool tricks like that.
That’s why I recommend getting your own account, and yes, starting a blogger blog and getting some decent content on it should get you accepted to the program.
I’m not sure which video you are talking about that Jen has done, as she has done many, but keep in mind she may be doing something completely different than Christmas Cash type lenses ~ there are tons of ways to use squidoo, and many different ways to make lenses, so don’t think just because someone says this is one way to make lenses it’s the only way.
I sure don’t make ALL my lenses like these christmas cash ones, but they are great for the purpose they serve.
Hi Jackie – quick question as I’m going through all this Squidoo Christmas Cash information.
I am also a member of Wealthy Affiliate so I did view PotPieGirl’s tutorial also…in hers, she says you do not need to be an Amazon affiliate…
In yours, you recommend it. I did apply to be an affiliate for Amazon, but received an email this morning saying they declined my application because I do not have my own website / url. I just would be doing the squidoo lenses.
I see that you did have a reply to someone saying to get a blogger blog started…I can do that – is that what you recommend?
I was just curious how you actually get paid if you aren’t an affiliate for amazon…thanks.
Thanks for this blog post! I have been trying to figure out how to do something like this and this looks super easy even though you say there is easier ways. I like this method and will be using it!
You want to go to amazon.com directly, not through your amazon associates account.
Check out the new post on finding products.
Find products for your squidoo lenses
Hi Jackie,
One question one filtering products by price you said it should be category >more choices. on the left side correct?
I do not see that o r how to filter by price.
I am using the product link from my associate welcome e-mail.
Thanks if you can answer this again , im still lost on finding the product on amazon.
Thanks
Terry
Terry,
Glad you found our coaching session helpful. Glad the videos helped as well. If you have specific questions about the process feel free to ask here.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
We just had our phone coaching ,very good coaching session.
Thanks
P.S. Oh and the videos above helped a lot also.
Terry Neal
Yes, you have to add your link in to the most important thing module manually to make it a clickable image. That is done in the last video.
You’re welcome.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for your prompt answer. Yes I have an Amazon associate id . It looks like you have to put in in manually in the “call to action’ step.
Once again, thanks for your help. You really “overdeliver” with this step by step process.
@Lou,
I was just thinking and if you don’t have an affiliate account with Amazon you’re right, you won’t be putting your affiliate link in this. If you don’t have an Amazon associates account yet I suggest you put up a blogger blog (make it a christmas themed blog) and use that as your website when you apply at Amazon. As soon as you have your blog up with a couple posts on it, apply for an Amazon associates account.
It makes doing this a lot more flexible and you can link to some pretty cool stuff that will help conversion.
Jackie
Hi Lou,
You are actually putting your affiliate link IN the visual call to action. That is the last step in the process ~ so yes you ARE using your affiliate link.
@Russell,
On page 9 of the blueprint you’ll see:
“You may find there are one or two other lenses related to your topic. If you
find there are some lenses check Google to see if the lenses are showing up
in the first page. If they are I’d say choose another product. If the lenses are
not showing in the first page I’d say you’re ok to continue on with that
product choice.”
You want to check for search volume and competition BEFORE you get your urls, and this includes how many other squidoo lenses are on your product. If there is a lens that is exactly the same product, and is showing up on the first page of google then you should CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE.
There are millions of products that no one has found yet, use them.
Jackie
Hi Jackie
I’ve just reserved 2 Squidoo URLs using my 4 keywords. These were accepted by Squidoo.
On checking using Google and site:squidoo (etc) I find that someone already has a Squidoo lens up with my 4 keywords – the only difference being that they’ve got hyphens between the words in their Squidoo URL.
They have No:1 spot in my category with my Google search.
Doesn’t this mean that if I put my lense up that if someone searches my (our!) keywords there will be confusion between the lenses?
What do you suggest I do?
Should I just proceed anyway?
Look forward to your reply.
Regards
RUSSELL
Hi Jackie,
These videos are super helpful ! Just one question, though. It seems that by doing this you are not using your Amazon affiliate id, so that when someone clicks and buys the product you don’t get credit.
Hopefully I’m incorrect. If you wouldn’t mind clarifying this.
Thanks much.
Thanks for sharing that great step by step video. It will sure come in handy for the squidoo Christmas cash blue print. It will help decorate up our lenses.
Tammy